The life of a movie star: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ tops box office

The life of a movie star: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ tops box office
The life of a movie star: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ tops box office
‘Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ movie poster. (TAS Rights Management)

Apparently not content to simply rule the world of music, Taylor Swift‘s now set her sights on cinema, too.

The pop superstar’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl theatrical event — a film accompaniment to her new album, The Life of a Showgirl — has debuted at #1 at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which featured the premiere of Swift’s video “The Fate of Ophelia,” plus lyric videos, behind-the scenes footage and Swift’s insights about each of the album’s songs — bested the competition with a $33 million haul.

Previous #1 One Battle After Another landed at #2 with an additional $11.125 million, while sports biopic The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr, managed $6 million to grab third place in its first weekend.

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie and The Conjuring: Last Rites rounded out the top five with $5.2 million and $4.05 million, respectively.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl – $33 million
2. One Battle After Another — $11.125 million
3. The Smashing Machine — $6 million
4. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie — $5.2 million
5. The Conjuring: Last Rites — $4.05 million
6. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle – $3.5 million
7. Avatar: The Way of Water – $3.194 million
8. The Strangers: Chapter 2 — $2.8 million
9. Good Boy — $2.253 million
10. The Long Walk — $1.7 million

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Tyrese Gibson turns himself in, released on bond in Fulton County animal cruelty case

Tyrese Gibson turns himself in, released on bond in Fulton County animal cruelty case
Tyrese Gibson turns himself in, released on bond in Fulton County animal cruelty case
Tyrese Gibson attends the MACRO Pre-Oscars Party at Laya Restaurant on February 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Tyrese Gibson turned himself in Friday after being charged with animal cruelty, after his dogs allegedly killed a neighbor’s dog in his Atlanta neighborhood.

The actor and R&B singer was booked in Fulton County and released on $20,000 bond, according to Fulton County Sheriff’s Office jail records.

Good Morning America has reached out to Gibson for comment.

Gibson, who is also known for his role in the Fast and Furious films, was accused of animal cruelty after police say his four Cane Corso dogs ran out of his mansion and killed a dog, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, at a neighbor’s home on Sept. 18.

According to a police report, officers visited Gibson’s home on Sept. 22 to impound the four dogs after Gibson told them through his assistant that he would turn them over. However, the report states that when officers arrived at the home, Gibson was not there, and his assistant told police they could not take the dogs, as Gibson needed “a few more days” to find “another place” for them to go.

Authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Gibson.

Rob Pitts, the chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, Georgia, told ABC News that while Gibson turned himself in this week, he is “still not co-operating,” and officials still want the dogs turned in too.

“We can’t force him to tell us where the dogs are but the judge will be able to compel him to turn the dogs over to us,” Pitts continued. “From our point of view, the dogs will be deemed as dangerous based on everything that has happened in the past.”

In a statement to ABC News on Friday, Gibson’s legal counsel said, “Earlier this morning, Mr. Tyrese Gibson voluntarily turned himself in to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to answer the misdemeanor warrant. Earlier this week (Tuesday), Mr. Gibson’s legal team worked with prosecutors and successfully secured a consent bond for his immediate release. He has now been processed and released.”

The statement continued, “Despite what others might say, throughout this entire process Mr. Gibson has cooperated fully with legal authorities and will continue to do so until this matter is resolved. Mr. Gibson once again wants to extend his deepest condolences to the family who lost their dog and respectfully asks for privacy and understanding as this matter is handled through the appropriate legal channels.”

The dog that Gibson’s Cane Corsos are accused of killing belonged to Harrison Parker, Gibson’s neighbor.

“The pack of those four dogs were there minutes before I found Henry’s body,” Parker told Good Morning America in an interview earlier this week. “And there was absolutely no cars, no humans, just the dogs. And he was dead. And the fact he died like that alone in the darkness at night and I wasn’t there… it’s just horrible.”

Parker added, “I really hope that justice is fully served.”

Gibson, who was out of the state the night that the incident happened, said in a statement shared this week on Instagram that he is “devastated and heartbroken” for Parker’s family.

“To the family who lost their beloved pet: please know that I am praying for you, grieving with you, and will continue to face this tragedy with honesty, responsibility, and compassion,” he said.

Gibson’s legal counsel said in a statement shared with the actor’s post that Gibson had “made the incredibly difficult decision to rehome his two adult dogs and their three puppies in safe and loving homes” after learning what had happened.

In a separate statement at the time, Gibson’s legal counsel said the singer initially got the dogs after he had been “dealing with stalkers randomly showing up at his home” and added that the dogs were “never trained to be vicious.”

Police said Gibson’s neighbors have complained that the dogs were often seen running loose.

In Gibson’s arrest warrant, police said that they had spent more than a week trying to convince the actor to surrender his dogs.

“It’s been a problem and it’s not going to go away,” Pitts told ABC News in an interview on Thursday.

Pitts added that rehoming the dogs is “not good enough.”

“We have to have possession of them,” he said. “Him rehoming them doesn’t mean a hill of beans to us.”

Pitts also said there is a responsibility that comes with pet ownership.

“Pet ownership is a good thing, but there’s a responsibility that comes along with owning a pet,” he said. “And based upon the footage that I’ve seen, based upon the complaints that I have seen that the neighbors have launched against him over a period of time, this did not just happen.”

He added, “The fear is, in this case, it was a small pet dog, another dog, but it could have been a child out playing. It could have been an adult. It could have been a human being.”

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gets 50 months in prison

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gets 50 months in prison
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gets 50 months in prison

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in prison for his conviction on two prostitution-related offenses.

He gets credit for time served since his arrest. Combs has already spent 12 months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Before the judge read the sentence, Combs tearfully apologized in court, saying, “I’ve been humbled and broken to my core.”

Federal prosecutors argued Combs deserved at least 11 years in prison, while Combs’ lawyers asked for a sentence of no more than 14 months.

For all the latest on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sentencing, check out the ABC News Live blog.

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Netflix releases ‘Famous Last Words’ episode featuring the late Jane Goodall

Netflix releases ‘Famous Last Words’ episode featuring the late Jane Goodall
Netflix releases ‘Famous Last Words’ episode featuring the late Jane Goodall
Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix has released the first episode of the docuseries Famous Last Words, featuring one of the last interviews with famed primatologist Jane Goodall, who died this week at age 91.

The series features interviews with cultural figures who reflect on their legacy with the understanding that their words would only be shared after their passing. Goodall’s interview was filmed earlier this year.

“Jane Goodall was fearless in all things,” executive producer Brad Falchuk says in a statement. “She deeply loved humanity and the natural world. It was clear to me in our conversation that she was approaching her final adventure with the same fearlessness, hope, humor and joy that she approached everything else in life. She was one of the world’s greatest and most beloved champions of good.”

Goodall died Wednesday, Oct. 1, of natural causes. She was in California as part of a speaking tour. Her research on chimpanzees revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.

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In brief: Henry Cavill shares update on injury recovery and more

In brief: Henry Cavill shares update on injury recovery and more
In brief: Henry Cavill shares update on injury recovery and more

Henry Cavill has shared an update on his recovery after he sustained an injury while filming the upcoming film Highlander. Cavill took to Instagram to share how he has progressed since the September injury, which delayed production on the film likely until early 2026. The post includes several pictures of himself working out with his left leg in a boot. “Endure. In enduring, grow strong,” Cavill captioned the post …

The Ultimatum: Queer Love has been canceled. Variety reports that the Netflix series has ended after two seasons. The show was part of the Ultimatum franchise, which began with the show Ultimatum: Marry or Move On‘s premiere in April 2022 …

Stephan James‘ next role will be Carl Weathers. Deadline reports that James will star as the late actor in the upcoming film I Play Rocky. The movie will follow the making of the film Rocky, which won best picture at the 1977 Academy Awards. Peter Farrelly directs the film, which will costar Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone

 

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Director Benny Safdie talks new film ‘The Smashing Machine’

Director Benny Safdie talks new film ‘The Smashing Machine’
Director Benny Safdie talks new film ‘The Smashing Machine’
Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘The Smashing Machine.’ (A24)

A new biopic called The Smashing Machine enters the ring this weekend, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Johnson plays Mark Kerr, a real-life mixed martial arts fighter who battles an opioid addiction while rising through the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Director Benny Safdie tells ABC Audio he has a long history with the sport and remembers watching professional fighting on TV as a kid.

“We would watch the pay-per-views and get the tapes, because it was, like, exciting.”

Safdie would later take up fighting himself, which he says was intimidating at first.

“When you start showing up a lot, people are like, ‘OK, this guy really wants to learn.’ And then they bring you in with open arms. And it’s the most loving, supportive environment,” Safdie said. “Like when you look at it from the outside you would never expect that.”

He says those experiences helped inform The Smashing Machine.

“All these experiences were just in my head and in my body, and I never had a vessel to explore them. And so when Dwayne approached me about this movie, suddenly I saw it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is where all of this work, and research, and everything I’ve done — it’s this world.’”

Safdie adds that The Smashing Machine is a story that centers on real-life characters, instead of simply dramatizing specific fights.

“Specifically what I wanted to do with the movie, is I wanted to connect you on a personal level to the person, so that when you do eventually see them in the ring, you have a completely different point of view of who that person is.”

The Smashing Machine marks Safdie’s first solo directing effort. He previously helmed two films, 2017’s Good Time and 2019’s Uncut Gems, alongside his brother Josh Safdie.

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‘The Age of Innocence’ limited series Netflix adaptation rounds out cast

‘The Age of Innocence’ limited series Netflix adaptation rounds out cast
‘The Age of Innocence’ limited series Netflix adaptation rounds out cast
Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis in the 1993 film ‘The Age of Innocence.’ (Columbia Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Even more actors have joined Netflix’s upcoming The Age of Innocence limited series adaptation.

The streaming platform has rounded out the cast of the upcoming series based on Edith Wharton‘s classic novel. Fiona Glascott, Belinda Bromilow and Emma Shipp have joined the series as regulars. They add to the previously announced main cast of Camila Morrone, Kristine Frøseth, Ben Radcliffe and Margo Martindale.

Also joining the series are Hayley MillsWill Tudor, John Light, Steven PaceyJack Cutmore-Scott, Anna Madeley and Michael Cochrane. All of these actors are being billed with supporting roles.

The Age of Innocence is set in 19th century New York City and follows a passionate will-they, won’t-they love triangle. It explores themes of freedom, duty, identity and love in all of its different forms. Wharton first published the classic novel in 1920. The following year she became the first woman to earn the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Age of Innocence.

The new limited series adaptation comes from showrunner Emma Frost. Shannon Murphy will direct the first three episodes of the show.

This limited series “promises to be true to Wharton’s novel but will speak to a new generation,” according to Netflix. The novel was previously adapted by Martin Scorsese in his 1993 film, which earned five Oscar nominations and scored one win.

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Dwayne Johnson opens up about ‘The Smashing Machine’ transformation

Dwayne Johnson opens up about ‘The Smashing Machine’ transformation
Dwayne Johnson opens up about ‘The Smashing Machine’ transformation
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt appear on ‘Good Morning America’ on Oct. 2, 2025. (ABC News)

Dwayne Johnson is opening up about his transformation in the upcoming A24 film The Smashing Machine.

Johnson portrays mixed martial artist and UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the movie, and he wore a wig and put on 30 pounds for the lead role.

“For me, the transformation was 22 prosthetics, over 30 pounds that I had to put on, which is a lot of weight,” Johnson said in an interview on Good Morning America Thursday.

Alongside his physical transformation, Johnson had to flex his acting chops and said he spent a significant amount of time getting to know the real-life Kerr.

“No one can really relate to what it’s like to be the greatest fighter on the planet. At one time, Mark Kerr was the greatest fighter on the planet and undefeated, dominant, and feared. But we can all relate to pressure, what that’s like, and having to deliver day in and day out in relationships and jobs,” said Johnson. “And a lot of us, some don’t deal with pressure that well, and some deal with it decently. But Mark, again, is that reflection of all of us.”

Johnson’s co-star Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s ex-wife Dawn Staples in the movie, called Johnson’s work in the film “astonishing.”

“I just felt he had this reservoir of incredible life experience that could be funneled into a role that demanded all of him,” Blunt said of cheering on her co-star. “And I just thought he was astonishing.”

When The Smashing Machine premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, Johnson teared up while receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

“It’s just incredibly surreal to get this kind of feedback,” Johnson said. “That ovation in Venice, as you see, I’m very emotional. That was special. And this film, The Smashing Machine, and this role and what it represents, it changed my life.”

The Smashing Machine is written, directed, co-produced and edited by Benny Safdie. It arrives in theaters Friday.

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‘Peaky Blinders’ sequel series headed to Netflix

‘Peaky Blinders’ sequel series headed to Netflix
‘Peaky Blinders’ sequel series headed to Netflix
Cillian Murphy and Steven Knight on the set of the upcoming ‘Peaky Blinders’ Netflix film. (Robert Viglasky/Netflix)

More Peaky Blinders is on the way.

Netflix has announced that a Peaky Blinders sequel series focused on a new generation of Shelbys is headed to the platform. Two seasons of this new show are planned, having been ordered by Netflix and the BBC.

The original show’s creator, Steven Knight, is behind the reins of the new series. It will be set in the 1950s and will pick up after the events of the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, which is currently in post-production.

“I’m thrilled to be announcing this new chapter in the Peaky Blinders story,” Knight told Netflix. “Once again it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz. The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel, and it will be a hell of a ride.”

The show will take place in 1953 after Birmingham was heavily bombed in World War II. The city “is building a better future out of concrete and steel,” according to an official description from Netflix. “The race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger, with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart.”

Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original series, will executive produce this sequel show. So will Knight, Karen Wilson, Martin Haines, Jamie Glazebrook, Jo McClellan, Mona Qureshi and Toby Bentley.

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In brief: ‘The Kardashians’ trailer, ‘The Abandons’ first look, and more

In brief: ‘The Kardashians’ trailer, ‘The Abandons’ first look, and more
In brief: ‘The Kardashians’ trailer, ‘The Abandons’ first look, and more

Some familiar faces are popping up on the new season of The Kardashians. A trailer for season 7 of the Hulu reality show features appearances by Rob Kardashian, Caitlyn Jenner and the cast of Kim’s upcoming Hulu series All’s Fair. Kim also reveals in the trailer that someone close to her put out a hit on her life. The new season debuts Oct. 23 …

Netflix is revealing the first look at Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson in their new Western, The Abandons. The series is set in Washington Territory in 1854 and follows the matriarchs of two very different families whose lives become intertwined. The drama premieres Dec. 4 …

Apple TV+ has extended its deal to be the exclusive streaming home of Peanuts. The partnership with Charlie Brown and Co. will now run through 2030 and includes the classic Peanuts library, as well as plans for more original Peanuts series and specials …

 

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